Rice's 'bittersweet' Straw call

State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said "she had no better or closer colleague than Jack Straw".

He also said that Ms Rice looked forward to working with Mrs Beckett.

"There are a lot of tough issues on the agenda, but there are no closer allies than the US and UK in facing up to the issues before us," he said.

Mr Straw and Ms Rice have been working closely over the past few months, notably in exchange visits to their respective home towns.

Mrs Beckett, a Labour Party veteran, was promoted to the foreign secretary job from her previous post of Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Mr Straw has been moved from the key post of foreign secretary to the much less high profile role of Leader of the House of Commons.

The moves were part of Tony Blair's most dramatic reshuffle of his senior team since becoming prime minister, a reshuffle which came in the wake of a disappointing set of local council elections.

The shake-up also comes as calls continue for Mr Blair to set a firm date for the planned handover of power, a handover which is expected to see Chancellor Gordon Brown becoming prime minister.